indydon,
The last time I checked, my relatives are still at the Garden of Rest, which is segregated into four quadrants: Danish Lutheran, Irish Catholic, English Anglican, and Moravian. The soil is hard and most graves are above ground. This is on STX. I don't Know about the other Caribbean islands.

indydon: That's total nonsense! I'm chortling as I write! But you described your sister as a know-it-all and what a lovely kick in the pants it will be for her when you return from your trip with pictures of his burial site still in situ. Cheers!

There are several cemetaries on STT with tombstones dating back to the 1880's. If they did dig the people up, they left the tombstones there.

That is the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time; we've been here almost 20 years and I've never seen or heard of that happening.

Indydon,
Go ahead and make that trip and pay your respects to your Grandfather! You will be very happy you didn't listen to your sister!
I have no clue how your sister came up with this one! Lived here (in STT) for 24yrs and nothing like that has ever taken place, in fact, it doesn't even make sense!

Have a wonderful trip!

Some people have vivid imaginations and then try to tell you it's fact!! I know firsthand how that is. It's not true. Not to worry, you will be able to pay your respects.

RL

FANTASTIC!!!!

Thanks for all the responses, I am waaaaay more excited about this trip now. You guys have saved the day because I'm not much good at researching family stuff on the web. I've tried a couple of times and end up giving up because it's just too time consuming.

Anyway, I will be sending for information from the VI vital stats peeps and hopefully I will be able to find my grandpa without too much trouble.

Thanks again!

IndyDon

Indydon, there's even a Caribbean geaneology library in STT on Raphune Hill across from Randy's. They'll be happy to help you with any ancestral searches you may want to do. Their number should be listed, and I think they have a website.

Good info Ms411! That must be an interesting place. Do you know how far back they go?

Blu, I'm supposed to be creating the research forms, and I'm copying pre-US census forms dating back to around 1860 something, I think. Note I said SUPPOSED - I've been lazy, so I'm way behind. But, I did do the ones just prior to US Transfer, and immediately after (I think). Then they gave me this huge project for all these forms - rural STT, rural STJ, town STT, etc. Contrary to popular belief, the past was very complicated, LOL!

I do NOT think that is true! Certainly not on St. John where I live.
DO go back and have your closure...and honor your family.
Be sure to take in the incredible natural beauty and great people on St. Croix. Good Luck.

I just finished drafting a letter to the vital statistics people over at Charles Harwood Hospital requesting some info. I'm hopeful they can help via email otherwise, I'll just have to wait until I get there and do some leg work on my own. Thanks for all the input at least now I've got some hope.

Now for another question...

I've went out and got a new "guidebook" to the Caribbean trying to work out our travel details. I've spent several "seems like a million" hours on the Internet researching someplace nice to stay on St. Croix while we do our family research and try to do some vacationing. I am more confused now than when I started???? I've read countless hotel / resort reviews until I've about given up. I'm not looking for a four star hotel, and am astonished that this seems so difficult. Can anyone give me any advice on where to stay on St. Croix?

I am only traveling with my wife, so no kids or pet considerations. We are looking for something on a nice sandy beach with decent food and a bar for unwinding. We plan on renting a car, so it doesn't have to be right in the middle of everything. I don't consider my wife nor myself as picky people, but we are looking for good accommodations that are safe and relatively user friendly. I know there are more places to stay on the other islands, but I'm not sure how much time we are going to have for family research so I think it's best to stay on St. Croix.

Any advise would be appreciated!

Indydon

There are many many great places to stay in STX. If you'd like something small, I recommend the Pink Fancy... right in town, under new ownership, great little quaint atmosphere. If you have your own car rented, then I would check out Carrington Inn in Hermon Hill. Want Beach/Pool and Restaurants on site... Do Tamaring Reef Hotel or The PALMS at Pelican Cove. Or... if you want to stay on the West End... Well... if I were you I'd check out the www.gotostcroix.com website - where to stay section. Enjoy. You will love St. Croix. I know I do. 🙂

Sorry... that is TAMARIND Reef Hotel and it is just east of Christiansted. Has great beach, great bar, great pool and 2 really nice restaurants on site. The hotel is recently renovated and reasonably priced.

indydon: Your grandfather was apparently a relatively recent decedent and I would therefore suppose that finding out where he's buried will be quite simple.

As the instigator (!) of the Danish Cemetery Restoration Fund on St Thomas back in the 80's, allow me to give a plug to:

CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY LIBRARY
Al Cohen’s Plaza (Raphune Hill)
Building 3, Bay 603
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802
Tel: 340 714-2136

My research and documentation on STT ended in 1991 and the original documentation on STX has probably not been updated since then but the whole, which encompasses the one STT cemetery and three STX cemeteries, were filed with the Enid Baa library on STT and with the Danish archival counterpart Cheers!

STT Res, and you other island locals,

Since this is the day after Halloween, this comes to mind for me to ask.

What are some of the interesting , curious, or downright strange things people have craved
on a headstone or crypt, or even, some of the more
interesting shapes or scuptures there in the islands??

I love old cemetery's and the historical value they give to places.

dreamconch:

While working on the Danish Cemetery in the early 80's, clearing and cleaning headstones and eventually creating plot plans and documenting all the engravings, I was always drawn to (amongst many others) the inscription on one Walter Stubbs' tomb which documents his dob and dod as 1800-1838 and says, "Sacred to the memory of Walter Stubbs (son of the late Rev'd J. P. Stubbs, 59 years vicar of Market Draytonian, Shropshire) died the 4th of May 1838, aged 38- Sincerely and deservedly regretted by his Relations and Friends."

No doubt his early demise was from Yellow Fever, which carried off so many locals and travelers at certain times in the 19th century. It was the last sentence that really touched me, "Sincerely and deservedly regretted by his Relations and Friends." Such an obviously heartfelt sentiment from all those people so many thousands of miles away who had his far distant burial place thus inscribed.

Cheers!